Creating a Culture of Quality: Navigating Change Toward a Culturally Responsive General Education Program

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the new general education curriculum at Hawai’i Pacific University (HPU), which represents a distinct, quality improvement in its effort to provide its students with a liberal arts foundation set in the rich, cultural context of Hawai’i. Diverse courses outside their major inspire lifelong learning by introducing students to ideas, perspectives, and experiences relevant to their lives. The unique features of this curriculum include the Hawaiian cultural context, HPU as the American gateway to Asia and the Pacific, an internationally diverse and engaged student body, and experiential learning rooted in a tropical island community. This chapter will identify some of its unique opportunities and challenges that HPU’s faculty face as they navigate toward a culturally responsive curriculum.